Walking with the Ghost

Last night I had the humbling and thrilling experience of my first show playing the Ryman. Thank you Avett Brothers!!! We had the time of our lives and will never forget it! All of the shows have been great so far. Last night was our last show with the Avetts. By far, my favorite people to tour with and also, just some of my favorite people in general. Their songs are as pure and true as they are as humans. We also wanna thank our friends Brigid and Patrick Hallahan in Louisville for taking us in for the night and making us pretty much the most epic breakfast I've ever had in my live. They know how to do sausage down south lemme tell ya!
Tomorrow the band and I will play a Paste Magazine session. Four of our new songs and a cover. What to do? What to do? Perhaps an Avetts cover? Roy cover? What do you think? Maybe some Hall and Oates? Then that night we will play a show at the good ol' Earl in Atlanta. After that there are three shows left and we will be joined by our talented buddies, Hymns, Foley Stewart and Scott Liss and the 66. Atlanta, 2 nights in Charlotte (paaaarty!!) and then Rock n Roll Hotel in DC. Dont miss em, we wanna rock your face off gentlelike then hard, real haaaaard. hahaha, ew.
After that our final shows of the year before we go off to record the new record (THANK GOD!) will be played. The first on friday Nov 13th at the 92Y in Tribeca (joined by Gillian Rivers on violin!) and then Thanksgiving Eve at the Stone Pony! Those are the biggies. We are also having special gorgeous two color hand screened posters for the Stone Pony show. Make sure to get yours, only 100 made!
Its been great meeting all you guys out on the road and we wanna thank you from the bottom of our hearts for being so kind to us out on the road and enjoying the music. See ya in Atlanta!

Guest Bloggie Time with the Black Sea's Shane Nelken

Friends! Neighbours! (notice the Canadian spelling 'neighb'ours')
Our little Bloglings! I have emerged from behind a wall of keyboards to guest blog. (which is huge for me as both my parents were killed in a blogging accident. oh well, must press on)
Touring with Nicole Atkins and the Avett Brothers has been a tremendously inspiring honor. Last night in Urbana, Illinois was amazing. Such wonderful people here. I have a bit of a beef with the 'Fish Tales' pinball machine in the lobby of the Canopy club however. I'll be back, you mechanized son of a so and so!
If you are able to come and see us play, i highly suggest you do so. As the only Canadian in the group, not only do i put care into every note i play, i put 'health care' into every note i play! That's right,step right up, get as close as you can and i will lay keyboard thunder full of love all over your awe struck faces! (oops, i accidentally typed 'feces' instead of faces. that would have been embarassing)
hope to throw another blog on the fire soon, baboon.
Shane Out!

You Come to Me

Above is a video of my new song "you come to me" from our show at the House of Blues in Boston. So we're in Urbana Illinois now. The tour is only three shows in but we are already having the best time ever. The crowd that goes to an Avetts show are just great real music fans. They dance, they participate, they are friendly. Anyways, its been an absolute pleasure playing for you guys and meeting ya'll.
It was our tour manager Colin's bday the other night and per his request the Avetts played a Bob song. He was so happy i thought he was gonna cry. Cute lil kipper. After our set Seth was singing "neptune city" in an Edith from All in the Family voice. I told him that thats what my voice was gonna sound like in two years. hahah! god forbid! yesterday i was feeling pretty hoarse and thought I wasnt gonna be able to pull it off but it passed and now i think my throat is adjusting finally. The new songs are pretty taxing with all the screaming and whatnot haha, but i have a good feeling its gonna be ok. I also painted some new bags in the van today. They are looking so cool. Very psychedelic with an old fillmore art feel. I have three new ones to sell at the show tonight so be on the lookout.
Gonna get my hair did in Chicago tomorrow. A new color me thinks. I'm thinking either almost black or a dark dark brown red. Wish I could do blue but that shit just washes out too fast. thoughts?

Shane our Keyboardist in Cracker Barrel

Tour Blog Numero Uno

Our Maiden Voyage in Miss America

And We're Off!!!!!

Tonight is the first night of our tour with the Avett Brothers! I saw some pictures of their Terminal 5 show in Brooklyn last night and the sheer volume of people that were there has me equally excited and nervous. It was mobbed!!! House of Blues in Boston tonight...cannot wait! The drive up from Jersey was pretty hilarious. My friend Shane Nelken of the Awkward Stage in Vancouver is joining us on keyboards and guitar for this tour and everything that comes out of his mouth is beyond funny. I laughed so hard in the van I think it made my voice a bit hoarse. Although, being in the van with 5 guys I think I might have reached my "dick and poop joke," quota by the first day. hahah!
We are gonna play mostly new songs this time around because we wanna test out the songs on an audience before we go into the studio this winter to FINALLY record the next record. Roadside preproduction. These songs are alot heavier and a bit vocally taxing so I gotta figure out how to kick my coffee habit during this tour. Not sure if its gonna happen so I might have to make some sort of pin for my jacket that says "i'm not a bitch, i'm just on vocal rest" so I can keep my talking to a minimum after shows. I'm a loudmouth tho so that'll probably be tough too. The Jersey/Sicilian/Lover of all things Acidic combo is my voices enemy but i'll get it straight soon enough.
So happy to be out on the road again and so are the guys. We stayed the night at my manager's assistant Tom's parents house. The Wironens. Such nice people. I stayed in one of their sons rooms and there were fishing poles and shotguns by my bed. POWAAA! And they made us breakfast. Now the Black Sea are watching football. I think these blogs might end up being a bit too long to read for ya'll as I don't get football and am boredtown. Anyways, stay tuned for some tour videos!!!

I & Love & You

Tonight is the Avett Brothers debut on the Letterman show! Please tune in and watch this wonderful band perform their single "I & Love & You" Also, tomorrow their record of the same name comes out on Columbia records. Please support the band and pick up a copy. I'm sure it will become one of your favorite records. I'm so proud of these boys. It was only a couple years ago we were all playing in the backs of any restuarant that would have us, feeling on top of the world if more than 50 people showed up to a gig, and relying on our folks to lend their van when ours broke down (or my their case, for their pops to lend me gas money. haha!) And right about now they are braving the cold that is the Letterman set. Air so cold you can actually see mist, and in about an hour, they are gonna burn that fucker down as they introduce the world to their heartfelt, real and timeless music. I'm so excited! Witness it tonight and watch out for us on tour with them starting the 18th!

Home from Carolina

Just got home from our shows this weekend in DC and Charlotte. I figured I'd write a little bit because i can't pretend i like football anymore. I really wish I could get into sports but I just can't. Sport night food is good though. Its nice to come home after an 11 hour drive and a pot of pulled pork on the stove.
So the shows were such a good time. Both the DC and Charlotte crowds were rowdy and fun and i'm so glad we're out doing these shows with our friends Salt & Samovar because they are just killing it. Their sound has such a vibe to it. Its evil and mysterious and layered and magical. You should check them out www.myspace.com/saltandsamovar.com I can't wait for our Boston and NYC shows together this week. NYC is gonna be raging. The Nouvellas are joining us that night too so i'm gonna actually have some real backup singers that night. Luxurious!
After the Neighborhood Theatre show i went out to Concord to crash with my buds Susan and Seth Avett. I woke up with the prettiest cat ever, Beatrice. She was pink and brown and white and only drinks out of a moving water fountain. I miss my cat. Its so nice out in Concord. Its so different from Asbury. Just rolling feilds everywhere. So peaceful. You can see how it would be easy to make alot of good art out there. You can hear yourself think.
Seth made this awesome little video of him covering my song "the way it is" I'm speechless. I've been singing that song for so long now sometimes I forget that I actually like the song. After watching this i'm in love with it again. Thanks Seth! Here is the video. If you go on youtube you can also find some videos of him covering our friend Langhorne Slim too. Its awesome...